Dill Pickle Peanut Butter Cups-Sweet, Quick Cozy

Name: Dill Pickle Peanut Butter Cups
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 2 cups high-quality semi-sweet chocolate chips; 1 tablespoon coconut oil or shortening; 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter; 1/4 cup powdered sugar; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened; 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish, well drained; 1 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon pickle juice (from the jar); Pinch of flaky sea salt

The story of these dill pickle peanut butter cups began with a challenge from my oldest son. During a kitchen experiment day, he grinned mischievously and declared, “I bet you can’t make a dessert with pickles that actually tastes good.” Never one to back down from a culinary dare, especially from my own child, I accepted with determination – though privately, I wondered if it was indeed possible.

After several attempts that my children politely described as “interesting” (their diplomatic word for inedible), inspiration struck: what if I combined the tangy brightness of dill pickles with the creamy richness of peanut butter, all wrapped in chocolate? The sweet-salty-tangy combination might just work. When my pickle-obsessed middle child and peanut butter-loving youngest both gave enthusiastic thumbs up to the final version, I knew we’d created something unexpectedly wonderful.

Now these conversation-starting treats make appearances at our family gatherings, where they’re always met first with skepticism, then curiosity, and finally – after that brave first bite – with surprised delight. My husband calls them “trust-building exercises in candy form,” since you have to trust the maker enough to try something that sounds so peculiar yet tastes so intriguingly delicious.

Why You’ll Love These Dill Pickle Peanut Butter Cups

These unconventional candy cups have become a signature conversation piece at our gatherings for good reason. Here’s why they deserve a chance in your kitchen too:

Unexpected flavor harmony: The sweet-salty-tangy combination creates a surprisingly balanced taste
Conversation starter: Guarantees memorable reactions and discussion at any gathering
Customizable intensity: Easily adjust the pickle presence to suit your preference
Simple technique: Uses the same method as traditional peanut butter cups
Gift-worthy uniqueness: Offers something truly different for the person who’s tried everything
Culinary adventure: Provides a safe way to expand taste horizons and challenge assumptions

For more unique sweet-savory combinations, visit our No-Bake & Quick Treats: Effortless Sweet Indulgences collection, which includes other creative flavor explorations.

If you enjoy unexpected flavor combinations, you might also love our Chocolate Covered Cherry Rice Krispies Treat or our Pineapple Pretzel Salad for more surprising but delicious treats.

Simple Ingredients for Dill Pickle Peanut Butter Cups

Show Image These unexpected ingredients come together to create dill pickle peanut butter cups – a sweet-savory taste adventure that will surprise and delight!

Ingredients for dill pickle peanut butter cups photo 022 including chocolate, peanut butter, pickle relish, and fresh dill arranged on marble surface — These unexpected ingredients come together to create dill pickle peanut butter cups – a sweet-savory taste adventure that will surprise and delight!

For these conversation-starting dill pickle peanut butter cups, you’ll need:

For the chocolate shells:

2 cups high-quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon coconut oil or shortening (helps with smooth melting)

For the peanut butter pickle filling:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish, well drained
1 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped
1 tablespoon pickle juice (from the jar)
Pinch of flaky sea salt

My grandmother always said that the most interesting flavors come from being brave in the kitchen. “Anyone can follow a common recipe,” she’d tell me in her Kentucky kitchen, “but it takes courage to create something new.” These peanut butter cups honor that spirit of culinary adventure while still delivering genuinely delicious results.

For more traditional peanut butter treats (if you’re not quite ready for the pickle version!), explore our comprehensive Homemade Dessert Recipes: Sweet Treats for Everyday Joy guide or try our classic Peanut Butter Cookies for a more conventional approach.

Easy Step-by-Step Preparation

Line a mini muffin tin with paper liners or prepare a silicone candy mold. This recipe makes approximately 12 standard-sized peanut butter cups. My children always argue over who gets to arrange the paper liners – a simple task that somehow never loses its appeal.
Create a double boiler by placing a heat-safe bowl over a saucepan with an inch of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water – a tip my mother emphasized to prevent scorched chocolate.
Add chocolate chips and coconut oil to the bowl and stir occasionally until completely melted and smooth. The addition of coconut oil creates that professional shine and snap in the finished chocolate shell.
Using a small spoon, coat the bottom and sides of each liner with chocolate, creating a chocolate cup. My youngest takes this task very seriously, ensuring even coverage “so the pickle doesn’t escape.”
Place the chocolate-lined cups in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to set while preparing the filling. This brief chilling creates a stable base for the filling.
In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, and butter. Mix until smooth and well incorporated. My daughter always sneaks a taste at this stage, claiming it’s “necessary quality control.”
Gently fold in the well-drained pickle relish, fresh dill, and pickle juice. The key word here is “well-drained” – excess moisture will make the filling too soft. My pickle-loving son suggests saving the extra juice for the next batch.
Remove the chilled chocolate cups from the refrigerator and add a small spoonful of the peanut butter pickle filling to each, leaving space at the top for the chocolate seal. My husband often helps with this step, carefully measuring to ensure equal filling in each cup.
Reheat the remaining chocolate if it has begun to solidify, then spoon it over the filling to seal each cup completely. A gentle tap on the counter helps settle the chocolate for a smooth, flat top.
Sprinkle each cup with a few flakes of sea salt before the chocolate sets. This final touch enhances the sweet-savory balance that makes these treats special. My middle child has claimed this as her signature contribution.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until completely set. The anticipation during this waiting period never diminishes, no matter how many times we’ve made them.

The entire preparation takes about 30 minutes of active time, plus chilling, making these dill pickle peanut butter cups a reasonable project even for busy weekends. The surprised reactions they generate are absolutely worth the effort.

My Best Tips for Perfect Dill Pickle Peanut Butter Cups

Through many batches of these unconventional treats, I’ve gathered several tips that ensure success:

For the perfect pickle balance: Drain the relish extremely well, pressing it in a fine mesh strainer or between paper towels to remove excess moisture. This prevents a soggy filling while maintaining that distinctive pickle flavor. My first attempt taught me this lesson when the filling was more like pickle soup!

For the smoothest chocolate: Temper the chocolate properly by keeping water away from it and melting it slowly over gentle heat. Even a drop of water can cause chocolate to seize and become grainy. My children know the “no wet utensils” rule when we’re working with chocolate.

For more surprising dessert ideas, check our Special Occasion Desserts: Celebration Sweets collection or try our Homemade Chocolate Truffles Recipe for another handcrafted confection.dill pickle peanut butter cups.

Answers to Your Dill Pickle Peanut Butter Cup Questions

Q: Can I use chunky peanut butter instead of creamy? Yes, though the texture will be quite different. If using chunky peanut butter, you might want to chop the peanut pieces finer to maintain a more cohesive filling. My oldest son prefers this variation, claiming the extra texture “distracts from any pickle hesitation.”

Q: How long do these keep? Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Allow them to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving for the best flavor and texture. My family has never tested the full two-week storage period – they disappear much faster!

For more family-friendly kitchen projects, try our Homemade Kool-Aid Licorice Ropes or explore our Cake & Sweet Bread Delights: Simple Baking Projects for more sweet inspiration.

Dill Pickle Peanut Butter Cups: Embracing Culinary Adventure

There’s something uniquely satisfying about creating a treat that challenges preconceptions. When I offer these dill pickle peanut butter cups to new friends, I watch their expressions move from polite skepticism to genuine surprise as the flavors reveal themselves – sweet chocolate giving way to creamy peanut butter, with that unexpected tangy pickle finish that somehow ties everything together.

Last summer, my oldest son (the original challenger) took these to his senior picnic. As a mother, I worried briefly – would high school students mock his unusual contribution? Instead, they became the talk of the gathering, with classmates taking videos of first-taste reactions and asking for the recipe. “Food courage,” he called it later, grinning with the satisfaction of introducing something genuinely different.dill pickle peanut butter cups.

My grandmother always encouraged culinary bravery, reminding me that many beloved flavor combinations were once considered strange. “Chocolate-covered pretzels sounded odd once,” she’d point out, “until someone brave tried the combination.” These peanut butter cups carry forward that spirit of adventure, inviting us to suspend judgment until after that first bite.

With warmth, Sophia